The electricity distribution firm is launching its ‘Right to Heat’ project which also includes the installation of solar panels and batteries in up to 25 low-income homes across South East England.
It hopes the project will create a template for green heating in social housing that will boost adoption of hybrid boilers which use both gas and electricity.
The project is a partnership between UK Power Networks, Stonewater, Social Energy, Passiv UK, and SGN and follows calls from charities last year for the government to offer upfront grants to low-income households to cover the cost of installing low-carbon heating.
The government’s latest figures show up to 3.9 million people around the UK live in social housing, and these homes account for 15 per cent of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
The compact hybrid heating systems have smart controls that can automatically switch between gas and electricity at certain times, depending on different factors...